Degree: Graduated with a PhD in Kinesiology (2009)
Bio: The focus of my PhD was the relationship between acute exercise and cardiovascular function in three groups: elite athletes, normally active individuals and heart transplant recipients. These investigations provided important information showing how extremely prolonged and high intensity exercise affect left and right heart function. The NSERC, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, and Faculty of Education funding I received during my PhD enabled me to focus on research and was critical to my success.
After winning a scholarship to attend a summer session offered by the International Space University (ISU), I completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Exercise Physiology Laboratory at the NASA Johnson Space Center. Since November 2011, I have been working as a Senior Scientist in the Exercise Physiology and Countermeasures Laboratory (NASA Johnson Space Center) in Houston, Texas where my research is focused on: 1) evaluation and characterization of spaceflight induced cardiovascular and muscular phenotypes using novel exercise testing, imaging, and biomarker techniques, and (2) the efficacy of exercise training to prevent and/or reverse deconditioning.